essential grammar

CLAUSE AND SENTENCE

A. Clause
Clauses are the building blocks of sentences. A clause is a group of words that contains (at least) a subject and a verb. There are two kinds of clauses: independent and dependent.
 Independent clause.
An independent clause contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence by it self. An independent clause is formed with:




For examples:
1. Students normally spend four years in collage
2. I will declare my major now

 Dependent clause
A dependent clause begins with a subordinator such as when, while, if , that, or who. A dependent clause does not express a complete thought and can not stand alone as a sentence by itself. A dependent clause is formed with:




For examples;
1. ….if I declare my major now…
2. …. When they come to the united states….
B. Sentence
A sentence is a group of words that contains at least one subject and one verb.
A sentence expresses complete thought. There are four kinds of sentences in English: Simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound- complex sentences.
• Simple sentence
A simple sentence has one subject and one verb. The subject tells who or what did something. The verb tells the action 9 or condition). These are simple sentences:
Subject Verb
I Study
I Study and work

Notice that the subject in a simple sentence may be compound. My head and neck hurt. Also, the verb in a simple sentence may be compound. For example I study and work.
Note: “Save your Money” is also a complete sentence. The subject “you” is understood and not included.
A sentence may also have a complement( but it does not have to have to). The complement completes the meaning of a verb or adds more information to the sentence. A complement in a simple sentence may be a noun, pronoun, adjective or adverb.
Subject Verb Complement

I Study English (noun)
I don’t understand you (pronoun)
His girlfriend is Smart (adjective)
It isn’t raining now (adverb)

A complement may also be a noun phrase, a verb phrase, or a prepositional phrase.
My father owns His own business (noun phrase)
My girlfriend wants to get married (verb phrase)
The students are reading in the library (proportional phrase)

• Compound sentence
A compound sentence is two or more independent clauses joined together. There are three ways to join the clauses:
1. With a coordinator I enjoy tennis and I hate golf
2. With a conjunctive adverb I enjoy tennis; however, I hate golf
3. With a semicolon I enjoy tennis, I hate golf

Note:
- Coordinators include and, but, yet, or , so
- Conjunctive adverbs include Besides, furthermore, moreover, also, however, nevertheless, nonetheless, otherwise, accordingly, consequently, hence, therefore, thus

• Complex sentence
A complex sentence has one independent and one (or more) dependent clauses. The punctuation depends on the kind of dependent clause:
o With an adverb clause. For example: because grammar is easy, I learned it quickly or I learned grammar quickly because it is easy.
o With an adjective clause. For example: one of my favorite films is like water for chocolate, which is in Spanish.
o With a noun clause. For example: she doesn’t agree that grammar is easy

• A compound- complex sentence
A compound- complex sentence has two independent clauses and one (or more) dependent clauses. For example: Because grammar is easy, I learned it quickly, but it took me several years to master writing.

KNOW AND KNOW HOW

Remember that know followed by noun expresses knowledge.

S KNOW noun
I Know The answer

Avoid using an infinitive after know.

Remember that know how followed by an infinitive expresses ability.

S KNOW how infinitive noun
I Know how To answer The question

EXAMPLES:
Incorrect ; if she knew to drive, he would lend her his car
Correct : if she knew how to drive, he would lend her his car
Incorrect : I don’t know to use the card catalog in the library
Correct : I don’t know how to use the card catalog in the library
Incorrect : Until he came to the U.S to study, he didn’t know to cook
Correct : Until he came to the U.S to study, he didn’t know how to cook.
Incorrect : Do you know to type?
Correct : Do know how to type?

Incorrect : You’ll have to help her because she doesn’t know to do it
Correct : You’ll have to help her because she doesn’t know how to do it

SUBJUNCTIVE VERBS

The subjunctive is a special , relatively rare verb form in English.
Remember that the following verbs are used before that and the verb word clause to express importance.
Ask propose
Demand recommends
Desire request
Insist require
Prefer suggest
Urge

S V that S Verb word
I prefers that she speak With him personality

Avoid using a present or past tense verb instead of a verb word. Avoid using a modal before the verb word.
Note: the verb insist may be used in non- subjunctive in the past tense. For example: He insisted that I was wrong.
EXAMPLES:
Incorrect ; the doctor suggested that she will not smoke
Correct : The doctor suggested that she not smoke

Incorrect : I propose that the vote is secret ballot
Correct : I propose that the vote be secret ballot

Use of the subjunctive
• We use subjunctives mainly when talking about events that are not certain to happen. For example, we use the subjunctive when we talking about events that somebody wants to happen, hopes will happen, and imagines happening. Look at the example: the president request that you be present at the meeting.
• The subjunctive is typically used after two structures:
1) The verbs: ask, command, demand, insist, propose, recommend, request, suggest+ that
2) The expressions: it is desirable, essential, important, necessary, vital + that.
Here are some examples:
- The manager insists that the car park be locked at night
- The board of directors recommended that he join the company
- It is essential that we vote as soon as possible.
- It was necessary that every student submit his essay by the weekend.


ADDITION- BESIDE AND BESIDE

 Besides means in addition to. Beside means near.

Besides Noun adjective Examples
Besides Our dog, We have two cat and a canary
Besides White, We stock green and blue

Beside noun
We sat Beside The teacher

Note: avoid using beside instead of besides to mean in addition
For example:
Incorrect : Beside Marge, three couples are invited.
Correct : Besides Marge, three couples are invited
Incorrect : Beside Domino’s four other pizza places deliver.
Correct : Besides Domino’s four other pizza places deliver
Incorrect : To lead a well balanced life, you need to have other interests beside studying.
Correct : To lead a well balanced life, you need to have other interests besides studying
Incorrect : beside taxi service, there isn’t any public transportation in town.
Correct : besides taxi service, there isn’t any public transportation in town.
Incorrect : Janice has lots of friends beside her roommate
Correct : Janice has lots of friends besides her roommate

 Addition
• Beside
The word beside is a preposition. It means that “close to” or “next to”
Example:
- Come and sit beside me
- Your hat is beside the dog basket
• Besides
The preposition “besides” means in “addition to” or “apart from” As an adverb, it means “furthermore” or and another thing”
Example:
- Besides Craig, who else caught a bass?
(Besides is a preposition in this example. Apart from Craig, who else...)
- Besides, it’s not just about determination.
(Besides is an adverb in this example, furthermore, it’s not just …)